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Savas Beatie Title Wins Nathan Bedford Forrest History Book Award

El Dorado Hills, CA January 16, 2014 – Confederate General William “Extra Billy” Smith:From Virginia’s Statehouse to Gettysburg Scapegoat by Scott L. Mingus, Sr. was selected as the 2013 winner of the Nathan Bedford Forrest History Book Award.

The award is given by the Forrest Cavalry Corps to authors writing on the subject of Southern history ranging from the colonial period to present time. Judges tasked with determining a winner of the award focus on three areas: writing style, depth of research conducted, and contribution to the historiography of the subject.

According to Matthew C. Edwards, Forrest Cavalry Corps Adjutant and Treasurer, Mingus’s book excelled in all three areas. “The book proves to be clear, concise, and well written. It is the type of book that once picked up; it is difficult to put down. Secondly, Mr. Mingus has made extensive use of primary and secondary sources, showing that he has mastered his subject matter, Edwards said. “Finally, Mr. Mingus has made a substantial contribution to the history of the War Between the States. In a day and time where the lives and adventures of many Confederate Generals has been told and retold, Mr. Mingus tells the story of a Confederate General little known to many Civil War enthusiasts, thus breathing a breath of fresh air into a subject not yet explored,” Edwards concluded.

“I am pleased and deeply honored to receive this award for my biography of Extra Billy Smith. He was a colorful character whose career has too long been overlooked,” Mingus said. “Bringing him back to the limelight for modern readers has been a pleasure, and I greatly appreciate the recognition with this award.”

William “Extra Billy” Smith was a shrewd postal contractor, skilled attorney, five-term U.S. congressman, Confederate congressman, and governor of Virginia during two wars, as well as a Confederate colonel and the oldest general in either army at Gettysburg. Mingus’s biography draws upon a wide array of newspapers, diaries, letters, and other firsthand accounts to paint a broad, deep, and colorful portrait of one of the South’s most interesting leaders and devoted sons.

About Scott L. Mingus, Sr.: Scott L. Mingus, Sr. is a scientist and executive in the paper and printing industry. He maintains a popular blog on the Civil War history of his home in York County, PA, for the York Daily Record (www.yorkblog.com/cannonball), and is a sanctioned Civil War tour guide for the York County Heritage Trust. Scott is the author of five scenario books on wargaming and together with his wife Debi, published CHARGE!, the leading international magazine for Civil War miniature wargaming.

About Savas Beatie LLC: Savas Beatie LLC is a leading military and general history publishing company. Read more about Confederate General William “Extra Billy” Smith, including excerpts and an interview with the author, at http://tinyurl.com/kcb63g4.

Contact: Michele Sams, Savas Beatie LLC
Email: michele@savasbeatie.com
Phone: 916-941-6896, Fax: 916-941-6895

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Because Authors Are Our Greatest Assets

Nearly six months ago, Savas Beatie did one of the best things it’s done since the company was founded in 2004. We held an Author Conclave. (“A what?” you might ask, probably followed by a “Why?”)

After our July event, Savas Beatie Managing Director Ted Savas was asked to write an article addressing these questions for the Independent Book Publishers Association. The article ran in the November edition of IBPA’s Independent magazine, and was also featured on their website. I encourage you to spend a few minutes reading the article, which explains why we did what we did, how we did it, and what we learned from it. Good food for thought as we all start looking toward 2014 . . .

December Special from Savas Beatie

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Happy Thanksgiving!

What's in a name? Or, more accurately, what's in an email subject line?

Like many companies large and small, we use Constant Contact (an online marketing company program) to create emails for our readers and accounts. We use it to send out a monthly newsletter to a nice number of subscribers, email readers each time we have a special offer on a new book or an announcement about an upcoming author event, and to send pitches to media suggesting authors as source/guests.

We give a lot of thought to email subject lines. What works? What doesn't? What makes people click to open it? This post on the Constant Contact blog has great examples of different types of subject lines, their purpose, and how to use them to engage your audience. (Or, let's face it, just to get them to open the email.)

I looked back through our archive of marketing emails and here is a handful of different types of subject lines we've used recently:

• Civil War presentation in NYC - or get a signed copy no matter where you live!
• Only $3.99 for U-boat book Steel Boat, Iron Hearts - Limited time only! 
• Interview Idea! New York City, the Civil War, and the 150th Anniversary. Wait--What? 
• 150th Chickamauga Anniversary Offer - SIGNED copies of the new book!

The majority of our email subject lines use "The command" or "The teaser" approach. Maybe we should give "The list" a try . . . "Top Five Savas Beatie books that should be on your Christmas list" perhaps?

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